One reader thought he'd spotted a mistake upon reading the headline in the paper two Fridays ago.

It stated: "Salem State awards 690 graduate degrees," and this alumnus insisted the story must have been about the undergraduate commencement.

In fact, the figure was correct. The region's state college is now handing out hundreds of graduate degrees annually (there were 1,300 undergraduate degrees awarded this spring), which should bolster the case for its achieving university status.

Salem State already meets many of the criteria necessary to achieve higher status. But this being Massachusetts, programs and performance alone aren't sufficient to make the case for a politically sensitive issue like having Salem State become the first public university outside the UMass system.

Fortunately, there are also signs of progress on Beacon Hill where Majority Leader Fred Berry recently succeeded in having an amendment inserted in the Senate's version of the fiscal 2009 budget that establishes a special commission to consider university status for those state colleges, like Salem, that qualify. Key to the provision is a requirement that the panel issue its findings by Nov. 15 of this year.

Despite broad support among alumni and within the region's political and business community, there are still many hurdles facing the effort to turn Salem State College into Salem State University. Lawmakers and state education officials are properly concerned with the potential costs involved, and the UMass system, which will have representation on the new commission, is no doubt concerned with protecting its turf.

But new SSC President Patricia Meservey is no less determined than her predecessor, Nancy Harrington, to elevate the school's role and expand the number of opportunities available to North Shore residents. While neither envision a major expansion the school's physical presence beyond the development of the former Weir Valve site on Canal Street, or a significant increase in enrollment, they see tremendous advantage in being able to offer the kinds of advanced degree programs that can translate into economic opportunity for those who live here.

At the same time she has endeavored to put her stamp on Salem State from the inside, Meservey has also invested tremendous energy in raising its profile within the region. Also included in the new budget is a provision, endorsed by both the House and Senate, establishing a North Shore Alliance for Economic Development that will be headquartered at the school.

Indeed, achievement of university status could signal a new era not only for Salem State, but for the entire area north of Boston.